Wales are set to be the dominant nation when coach Warren Gatland announces his squad next month for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia after deservedly retaining their Six Nations title.
A tournament that started promisingly, before sagging badly in the middle, finished with a flourish as Wales routed England by a record 30-3 at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday to deny the visitors both the Grand Slam and the consolation of the Championship trophy.
But for the opening 43 minutes against Ireland, where they conceded three tries, Wales could have been looking at back-to-back Grand Slams.
However, they made amends by not conceding a try in their next four matches.
Wales came into the tournament on a run of eight straight defeats, a testament to their poor record against southern hemisphere nations that could prove costly at the 2015 World Cup.
But under the closed roof of the Millennium Stadium they dispatched England with a fast and powerful running game that should be suited to the hard-pitch conditions the Lions are likely to encounter in Australia in June.
Back-rows Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric combined splendidly and not even England captain Chris Robshaw, manful though he was, could repel their efforts in an area that could provide Kiwi coach Gatland with a real selection headache.
Leigh Halfpenny, wonderfully secure in defence, as well as a reliable goalkicker, put himself in pole position to be the Lions' full-back while wings George North and Alex Cuthbert, whose two tries ended England's resistance, also advanced their tour claims.
Meanwhile the way Wales props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones monstered England at the scrum will not have gone unnoticed by Gatland, seconded to the Lions from his 'day job' as Wales boss.
Wales' caretaker coach Rob Howley, a former Wales and Lions scrum-half, said: "As a player you know coming into a Championship in a Lions year how important your performances are going to be."
"They are under the microscope throughout the Championship and they performed as you would expect today (Saturday), they turned up."
Before this tournament started, Jonathan Sexton was regarded as the Lions' fly-half in waiting but the No.10 is one of several sidelined Ireland players on a long injury list that hampered his side's Six Nations chances.
Scotland's Greig Laidlaw, who can play at both scrum-half and fly-half, could find himself selected for his versatility -- a useful trait on a Lions trip.
With Warburton reluctant to resume the Wales captaincy, the question of who should lead the Lions against the Wallabies remains a talking point.
Ireland great Brian O'Driscoll, despite nearing the end of his career, remains in contention for the honour and a place as a starting centre.
Despite their Welsh chastisement, England coach Stuart Lancaster is still expecting to lose a number of his youthful brigade to Lions duty as he continues to build towards the 2015 World Cup on home soil.
"We've got some good players to come back into the equation and a summer tour (to Argentina) to look forward to while the rest of our players go away with the British Lions," he said.
Certainly the likes of Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi, Geoff Parling and Joe Launchbury, as well as Robshaw, have played themselves into Tour contention during the tournament.
Comments
JCBJones says...
What a load of crap! The squad and team will be made up of mainly welsh players (15 at least) especially the backs! Because England's backs are garbage! There will be a fair few Irish players O Driscoll Bowe Karney O Brien Heaslip Sexton and best etc and deserving so as wales and Ireland have been the best and most consistent teams in uk for the last few years!!! There will be a few England players Ben morgan (not robshaw he's crap) Youngs Tuilagi Farrell Ashton and a few forwards to make up the numbers in the midweek team and bring the water bottles on! Lol! And two or three scots Hog with only real chance of making test team!
Posted 12:27 03rd April 2013
TVaddict says...
Ok, choosing a team now is ridiculous. At best we can pick squad members but even that is out there. If you 'are' picking a team then you are surely only doing it for a bit of fun, so let's keep things light hearted. Remember we're on the same side soon yeah?
Now I love the lions and if I thought a lions team full of Welsh would win then I'd pick that. There's no point in prejudices between countries for this. Which is why I still had Welsh in my squad even when they were going through their record number of loses, which included 4 loses to Australia (i.e. the team the lions are playing). Now Wales have arguably only had one good game since the last six nations and that was last weekend, so let's not repeat last years 'Wales should have won the world cup' rubbish. The best lions team will mix the strengths of the four nations.
Posted 20:10 18th March 2013
ScottyBruiser says...
@melkdave
What are you on about?! Firstly, Sheridan is a loosehead and not a tighthead! Secondly, you whinge about Adam Jones 'boring in' yet he has consistently dismantled almost every loosehead he has played against barring the France game (some would point to the pitch, I myself recognise he got schooled) and the Irish game where every welsh player failed to show up until 50 minutes. His job at tighthead is to split the hooker and loosehead which he done in world class fashion, even Phil Vickery was raving about his performance last night and Im pretty sure he knows a thing or two! You also fail to look at the facts that Adam Jones had 5 positive carries and made 8 tackles throughout the game. If you are going to have a swipe at a player, back it up with facts and start by looking at Joe Marler and Dan Cole who were once again dominated.
You also say that Adam Jones only scrummages, is that not the first and most important part of being a prop?!?!
Posted 20:01 18th March 2013
makemehappy says...
@melkdave - did you seriously say that Jones was bettered by the Aussie scrum LOL! Have another look! Hysterical post.
Posted 17:16 18th March 2013
melkdave says...
@Jontheref
Iam not so much down on A.Jones,its that i dont rate him ,outside the scrum at all.His usually 5 mins late to any breakdown,and as ive said here and other posts.He spent all match boring into the english scrum ,which is usually a penalty,totally ignored by S.Walsh .Are you willing to bet any other referee would have let him get away with that against Australia in a test ???.Theres also the fact ,that the australian front row dont fear him at all,as they have bettered him how many times in the last 2 yrs is it 9 or 10 ??i cant remember myself A.Sheridan you have to agree is feared by the australian frontrow ,having destroyed them on his last 4 meetings,and is doing the job in France atm,where scrummaging is still a big part of the game..If we are taking a player just for his scrummaging ,then surly A.Sheridan is that choice ,thus no A.Jones .As to I.Evans yes his had a good 6Ns ,but we are going to have to boss the lineout,aswell as win our throw ins.Hence ive gone for enforcer type locks,Remember S.Timani and K.Douglas are man mountains ,picked for the wieght they give to the ozzie scrum,and ball carrying ,so ive gone for the same ,but hopefully ours are also better at securing the ball in the jump. aswell.Really ive tried to go with a balanced squad ,that nullifys Australias strengths as much as possible .
Posted 14:35 18th March 2013
99call says...
I do love the posts on here when it comes to the Lions, up until saturday it was all england with a few others in just to keep the celts happy
So what now?.... the england side gets manshamed and their only weapon, the scrum, gets taken apart and the england side gets shown up for what it really is which is a side that is based on winning penalties at the scrum then kicking goals, the welsh show what theyre actually capable of if they decide to play but we cant ignore the point in the previous last 3 games their 2 centres touch the ball a combined total of no more than half a dozen times, theres no point in any Irish getting on the plane as the majority are in the hospital and to be honest with a welsh/english management team I doubt theyd have much chance of selection anyway, the scots.... well a few decent results but really no decent performances so there are a couple of lads there that will be on the plane as the "token Scots"
Lets look at some of the big names who were in the frame at the start
Heaslip - will probably go but has been rubbish since the Pumas game so no were near the test team
Tuilagi - will go but saturday showed that if someone actually passes him the ball hes not sure what it is, more used to being a defensive lump watching his pack win penalties for Farrell
Farrell - great kicker but it stops there, he suddenly had to try and move the backline against wales which he basically couldnt do, passes going everywhere but not to hand
Mike Brown - cant believe some people on here still think hes a lion, he was made to look stupid for both tries
Ashton - not sure who this guy is I didnt see him in any game but Im sure I heard his name being mentioned
Anyway thankfully no one on here is picking the lions squad, it will be dificult for it not to be heavily welsh biased after the weekend but I think there will be some surprises and unhappy fans
Posted 14:27 18th March 2013
makemehappy says...
I thought that Brian Moore's honest on Saturday might have meant that people acknowledged that Wales simply murdered England in the scrum. Any argument against Jones and Jenkins being the starting props has been destroyed - as it was on the last Lions tour!
@ben7 - do you watch rugby - a team of the injured, outclassed and out of form, in the main.
Posted 11:39 18th March 2013
mayhem says...
Thank god the obviously deluded Irish-biased postees on here arent picking the lions 22. You can rant about Wales not picking up a win against SH teams all you want, the 6N is our proving ground and some of the Irish mentioned shouldnt even be on the plane. Unbelievable that Sexton, kearney, mcfadden, Murray are being mentioned in 1st 15. I just dont think they are good enough right now. And no way is stampy OżDriscoll a Lions captain. Warburton, AWJ or Robshaw for me.
Posted 11:38 18th March 2013
ben7 says...
Healy best cole launchbury gray warburton robshaw obrien youngs sexton north roberts tuilagi halfpenny hogg
Posted 10:13 18th March 2013
jontheref says...
1st58
I like the look of your squad in general, but doubt you will see Burns there, when Biggar played so well.
Also don't forget the love affair with Priestland, if he is hoping around, he will go.
Agree about someone like Wade or Eli Walker, to show some variation in the three quarters.
melkdave, why so down on Adam Jones?
You obviously did not see Saturdays game, he was everywhere in the loose, tackles, linking etc.
Didn't see Cole doing it.
Also, you have moved Sheridan across the scrum.
You also ignore Ian Evans, best second row for two 6N in succession.
For a person who rates Wales as his second team, you sure are bitter about something.
Posted 09:08 18th March 2013
NHsaints says...
Honestly so many positions are still open I'd be unwilling to pick a starting XV but players I definitely think are in the mix:
Healy, Jenkins, Grant.
Jones, Cole, Murray. (I think Cole should start considering Jones' cheating might be noticed by other refs).
Best, Hibbard, Hartley/youngs (neither were really that good this year).
Parling, Gray, Lawes.
Launchbury, Jones, Hamilton.
Robshaw, O'Brien, Croft.
Tipuric, Warburton, Brown.
Wood, Faletau, Morgan (Beattie if Morgan remains injured).
Youngs, Phillips, Laidlaw.
Sexton, Biggar, Farrel.
North, Gilroy, Visser.
Roberts, Scott, J Davies.
O'driscoll, Tuilagi, Lamont.
Cuthberts, Zebo, Bowe (if fit).
Halfpenny, Hogg, Brown (I'd prefer Foden over Brown but hey ho, injury has played it's part in that one).
Posted 07:22 18th March 2013
paulynz says...
Why is Manu Tuilagi on most people's pick-list for the Lions? He butchered countless overlaps against Wales. Does he not normally do that? At one point England had a four-on-one overlap and Tuilagi took the ball into contact.
BOD must tour, even on a bad day he's still the best centre in the 4-nations.
The Lions will have forwards to win ball and a back three with ambition to attack. The back three just need a mid-field to put them into space.
Posted 06:35 18th March 2013
Funkychicken says...
@ leinster_goy
That's a pretty balanced side. Whilst Wales will get the lions share of the squad I expect the test 15 will be fairly balanced between Wal/ Eng / Ire.
The Pikeys are in the doldrums after yesterday but they've still got some good individual players. BOD may still be Lions Captain.
Posted 22:02 17th March 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
@leinster_goy couldn't agree more - smashed England and deserved winners but, defence aside, pretty poor through the 6N and a disaster through the autumn.
AND haven't beaten 3N opposition for years.
If Gatland picks an almost Welsh first team he's a fool. If you looked at all of the home nations there are outstanding players in every side in various positions.
Posted 22:00 17th March 2013
atg77 says...
I further more think it is more than a little bit sad that we(the home nations) have to gang up on the Southern hemisphere teams to ever have a hope of winning a series down there. Scotland won all by themselves last year, so i don't see why we even need the lions anymore.
Posted 21:50 17th March 2013
atg77 says...
Surely playing and winning for your country should be enough to bring out the best in you? I really feel this whole lions concept diminishes the honour of playing for your national team. As a Scotland fan, I'm hoping we don't lose too many players to the lions. We have a tough tour to South Africa in the summer, where we could face a possible whitewash if we are not at least close to full strenghth. I think we might lose Laidlaw, Gray, Hamilton and our back three... thankfully no more.
Posted 21:47 17th March 2013
Jhamer25 says...
Oh leinster goy i just saw the other player in you team, oh hahah.
Fergus mcfadden a lion you have got to be joking me.
You go on about going for players who have been performing for a long period of time and then you go for a majority of irish players who are not performing.
Mike ross des nothin around the pitch and can't even scrummage.o'mahny i think is a joke as you have forgotten ben morgan, dan lydiate, kelly brown, johnnie beattie and you go for him.
We taffs havent beet the aussies since 2008 but we have won 2 grand slams, a bronze final (where we beat Ireland to get to) and another Six nations championship.
You have beat australia but I guess the luck was with the irish those days.
We have had more success than you in the past 2 years than you have had in a decade.
Posted 21:32 17th March 2013
Jhamer25 says...
leister _goy
You have some fair points but i mean come on. Bench players are suppost to make an impact. Murray is the lowest rate 9 out of the 4 nations
Either Mike Phillips to start or car with either on the bench. greg Laidlaw and tim youngs are aslo in the pecking order.
Donnacha o ryan has done nothing since the first game and the likes of lauchberr, ian evan, richie gray,jim hamilton are aslo aboe him. Good starting locks though.
I agree with best as he is I think by far the ebst hooker in world rugby, Hibabrd will make a good imapact good combo their.
Playing adam without gethin is jsut a crime, both have been the corner stone of the welsh pack for years and look how dominenet htey ahve been. Healey is a great prop but if you are looking at combinations adam and gethin are the choices.
Got to change the back row to O'brien 6 but when lydaite come back he will make a big statement. Dont see what anyone see's in wood. Then ben morgan 8.
kearney nonono, befor the tournament yes but leigh has made that 15 jersey hi. I doubt kearney will even be in the 23
Posted 21:21 17th March 2013
Lucasrg says...
@TVaddict
Excellent list, although I would only swap Wood for Kelly Brown.
Posted 20:57 17th March 2013
honestpom says...
1 SHERIDAN
2 HIBBARD
3 JONES
4 PARLING
5 GRAY ( obviously if fit )
6 O'BRIEN
7 TIPURIC
8 ROBSHAW ( capt )
9 CARE
10 SEXTON
11 ZEBO
12 SCOTT
13 TUILAGI
14 CUTHBERT
15 HALFPENNEY
16 FORD
17 JAMES
18 COLES
19 AW JONES
20 WARBURTON
21 YOUNGS
22 FARRELL
23 HOGG
Posted 19:21 17th March 2013